1 dead after oil train derails in Quebec

Smoke rises from railway cars that were carrying crude oil after derailing in downtown Lac Megantic, Quebec, Canada, Saturday, July 6, 2013. The derailment sparked several explosions and forced the evacuation of up to 1,000 people. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (AP) — Provincial police say one person has died after a train carrying crude oil derailed, triggering several explosions and a huge blaze in a town in eastern Quebec.

Police Lieutenant Michel Brunet would not say how many people might be missing after the 73-car train derailed early Saturday in the town of Lac-Megantic (Lack-MAH-Gan-Tic), about 155 miles (250 kilometers) east of Montreal.

Officials say the explosions and fire destroyed a large part of the town's downtown area. Up to 1,000 people were forced from their homes in the town.

Witnesses say the eruptions sent many local residents scrambling through the streets under the intense heat of towering fireballs and a red glow that illuminated the night sky.